Volume II Part 167 (1/2)

The references in the above quotation are, of course, to my father's version of Marco Polo. That his nephew should make this interesting little contribution to the subject would have afforded him much gratification.

A.F. YULE.

_The Athenaeum_, No. 4570, May 29, 1915, p. 485.

Lx.x.x., pp. 226, 230.

SUGAR.

”I may observe that the _Peh Sh_ (or 'Northern Dynasties History') speaks of a large consumption of sugar in Cambodgia as far back as the fifth century of our era. There can be no mistake about the meaning of the words _sha-t'ang_, which are still used both in China and j.a.pan (_sa-to_). The 'History of the T'ang Dynasty,' in its chapter on Magadha, says that in the year 627 the Chinese Emperor 'sent envoys thither to procure the method of boiling out sugar, and then ordered the Yang-chou sugar-cane growers to press it out in the same way, when it appeared that both in colour and taste ours excelled that of the Western Regions' [of which Magadha was held to be part].” (E.H. PARKER, _Asiatic Quart. Rev._, Jan., 1904, p. 146.)

ZAITUN.

Lx.x.xII., p. 237.

M.G. Ferrand remarks that _Tze tung_ = [Arabic], _zitun_ in Arabic, inexactly read _Zaytun_, on account of its similitude with its h.o.m.onym [Arabic], _zyatun_, olive. (_Relat de Voy._, I., p. 11.)

Lx.x.xII., pp. 242-245.

”Perhaps it may not be generally known that in the dialect of Foochow Ts'uan-chou and Chang-chou are at the present day p.r.o.nounced in _exactly the same way_--i.e., 'Chiong-chiu,' and it is by no means impossible that Marco Polo's _Tyunju_ is an attempt to reproduce this sound, especially as, coming to Zaitun via Foochow, he would probably first hear the Foochow p.r.o.nunciation.” (E.H. PARKER, _Asiatic Quart. Rev._, Jan., 1904, p. 148)

BOOK THIRD.

j.a.pAN, THE ARCHIPELAGO, SOUTHERN INDIA, AND THE COASTS AND ISLANDS OF THE INDIAN SEA.

II., p. 256, n. 1.

NaFuN.

Regarding the similitude between _Nipon_ and _Nafun_, Ferrand, _Textes_, I., p. 115 n., remarks: ”Ce rapprochement n'a aucune chance d'etre exact [Arabic] _Nafun_ est certainement une erreur de graphic pour [Arabic] _Yakut_ ou [Arabic] _Nakus_.”

III., p. 261.

j.a.pANESE WAR.

”Hung Ts'a-k'iu, who set out overland via Corea and Tsus.h.i.+ma in 1281, is much more likely than Fan Wen-hu to be Von-sain-_chin_ (probably a misprint for _chiu_), for the same reason _Vo_-cim stands for _Yung_-ch'ang, and _sa_ for _sha, ch'a, ts'a_, etc. A-la-han (not A-ts'-han) fell sick at the start, and was replaced by A-ta-hai. To copy _Abacan_ for _Alahan_ would be a most natural error, and I see from the notes that M. Schlegel has come to the same conclusion independently.” (E.H. PARKER, _Asiatic Quart. Rev._, Jan., 1904, p. 147.)

V., pp. 270, 271 n.

CHAMBA.

Lieut.-General Sagatu, So Tu or So To, sent in 1278 an envoy to the King known as Indravarman VI. or Jaya Sinhavarman. Maspero (_Champa_, pp. 237, 254) gives the date of 1282 for the war against Champa with Sagatu appointed at the head of the Chinese Army on the 16th July, 1282; the war lasted until 1285. Maspero thinks 1288 the date of Marco's visit to Champa (L.c., p. 254).

VII., p. 277 n.

SONDUR AND CONDUR (PULO CONDORE).

Mr. C.O. Blagden has some objection to Sundar Fulat being Pulo Condor: ”In connexion with Sundur-Fulat, some difficulties seem to arise. If it represents Pulo Condor, why should navigators on their way to China call at it _after_ visiting Champa, which lies beyond it? And if _fulat_ represents a Persian plural of the Malay _Pulau_,'island,' why does it not precede the proper name as generic names do in Malay and in Indonesian and Southern Indo-Chinese languages generally? Further, if _sundur_ represents a native form _cundur_, whence the hard _c_ (= _k_) of our modern form of the word? I am not aware that Malay changes _c_ to _k_ in an initial position.” (_J. R. As. Soc._, April, 1914, p. 496.)

”L'ile de Sendi Foulat est tres grande; il y a de l'eau douce, des champs cultives, du, riz et des cocotiers. Le roi s'appelle Resed. Les habitants portent la fouta soit en manteau, soit en ceinture.... L'ile de Sendi Foulat est entouree, du cote de la Chine, de montagnes d'un difficile acces, et ou soufflent des vents impetueux. Cette ile est une des portes de la Chine. De la a la ville de Khancou, X journees.” EDRISI, I., p. 90.